Pneumatic bumper



A. H. SHOEMAKEK PNEUMATNIO auuran Filed May 29, 1928 I 'INVENTORATTORNEY Patented A r. 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PA ENT oF cE.

ALVIN H. YSHOEMAKER, or SIEATTLELWASHINGTON.

PNEUMATIC BUMPER.

Application filed May 29, 1928. Serial 'No."2 8 1,440.

My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic bumpers for use onmotor vehicles and the general ob ect'of my 1nvent1on is to provide apneumatic bumper of simple,

members and to provide novel and eflicient means for securing the bumpermember to the spring su ports. i

Other specilib objects will be apparent from the followingdescriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings. j

' In the construction of motor vehicle bumpers it desirable to have thebumpers of substantial width from top to bottom to more adequatelyprotect the car from collision. For this reason many of the spring metalbumpers are made with two or more springs or fiat metal bars arrangedone above another. In a pneumatic bumper if only one cushion tube'isemployed it is impossible to make a bumper having a relatively greatwidth from top to bottom without using a tube so large asto be hard tosupport and to appear cumbersome and awkward. This is practicallyprohibitive in connection with pleasure cars where beauty is very, muchdesired. I find that by using two or more tubes arranged one aboveanother and supported in such a manner that they willexpand against eachother I am able to make a pneumatic bumper of substantially any desiredwidth from top to' bottom and of'a limited thickness from front to rear.embodied in a double tube bumper but it will be understood that morethan two'tubes may beused in substantially the samemanner if desired. p

' In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan View looking down on the top edgeof a bumper constructed in accordance with my invention.

on broken line 33 of Fig. 2.

- other.

end of said springs. I

I have illustrated the invention as Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View showingthe manner of apply ng the end closuredraw 'stringmeans.

Fig. 5 is an end :view showing'the draw it may appear string endclosuremeans as after inflation of thetubes. Fig. 6 'islasectio'nal View of asingle tube bumper constructed in accordance with my invention.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout theseveralviews.

Referring to the drawings, I show a double tube pneumatic bumper. formedof two parallel cushiontubes 'disposed'side by side in parallel relationand I resting against each Said cushion tubes are formed of externalcaslngs 6 and 7 preferably of canvas,

'within which are disposed elastic tubes 8 and 14 and 15 are tworelativelylong flat steel springs which serve as backing members andsupports for the two cushiontubes. The springs 14 and"15 are securedtogether as shown in Fig. 3 by a plurality of clips 16 whichhave hookportions at both ends and may be slipped over the springs from eitherBrackets 17 may be'connected with the to a motor'vehicle.

P The springs may be straight or curved depending upon what shape it isdesired to give the bumper. I I

In assembling the bumper the rubber tubes 8 and 9 are inserted into thecanvas tubes 6 and 7 from the ends and draw strings 18 in the ends 19 ofthe canvas'tubes are drawn H tight and tied. Either before or afterthetubes 8 and 9 areinserted, the springs 14 and T 15 are applied so thatthe portion 13 of the the springs together on the canvas with the thetubes 8 and 9 may be inflated, causingthem to assume the positions shownin Fig. 3, with the adjacent parts of the two canvas tubes forcedtightly against each other at 20, and with the canvas tubes held tightlyagainst the springs 14 and 15. lVhen the tubes are thus inflated theywill tend to support each other andto force each other back firmlyagainst the springs 14 and 15 thus making a very substantialbumperwh'ich is very resilient and which affords maximum protection tothe vehicle on which it is installed. The inflation of the tubes bringspressure on the springs 14 and 15 and clips 16 and prevents all rattlingnoises. The air pressure within the tubes 6 and 7 may be relatively lowas compared to that ordinarily carried in pneumatic tires. The'ends 19of the canvasbags being closed bydraw strings makes the tubes 6 and 7readily accessible. Said ends 19 may be pieces of flexible fabricdoubled and sewed to the canvas as shown in Fig. 4. Other methods'may bedevised for closing the ends of the canvas tubes.

By the double tube construction just de scribed I am able to provide abumper having the combined width of two tubes from top to bottomand theWidth of one tube from front to rear.

It will be obvious that more than two tubes may be used in building up abumper of this class if greater width from top to bottom is required. 7

.In Fig. 6 I have shown a single tube bumper constructed in accordancewith my invention and suitable for use where only small bumpers arerequired. In this figure I provide a single casing 22 which may be madeflat with cords 23 embedded therein and running back and forth acrossthe tube member and drawn around cables 24L at the edges. After the flatmember is constructed it may be doubled and sealed at 25 adjacent thetwo edges as by Vulcanizing and the sealed portion maybe clamped betweentwo spring members 26, Which are held by clamps 27. This makes a simpleand practical-construction forsmall bumpersiand the tube, 22 is verycheaply manufactured due to the fact that it may be moulded-flat. V

The foregoing description and accompany 111g drawings clearly disclose apreferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that thisdisclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the inventionmay be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the followingclaims.

I claim: v

1. A bumper embodying a casing having a After the "and serving as abacking for the pneumatic chamber.

2. A bumper embodying a pneumatic casmg, a longitudlnally extendedcorded portion projecting from one side of said casing, parallelsupporting springs disposed with their flat sides against the back ofthe casing and clamping between their edges the casing'adjacent thecorded portion and clamp means securing said fiat springs together. 7

3'. A pneumatic bumper embodying sup porting means and a plurality ofpneumatic tubes secured to said supporting means and arranged to beforced. against each other and against the supporting means by internalair pressure. I t. A pneumatic bumper, embodying supporting means andtwo pneumatic tubes secured to said supporting means and arranged to beflattened against each other and against the supporting means by thepressure of air within said'tubes when the tubes are inflated.

5. A pneumatic bumper, embodying relatively fiat supporting means andtwo pneumatic tubes secured to said supporting means along a common lineextending longitudinally of the tubes and the supporting means.

6. A pneumatic bumper, embodying two flat supporting sprin gs twopneumatic bumper tubes resting against the front sides of said springsand connecting means secured to the two pneumatic tubes and extendingbetween said two springs for securing the tubes to the springs.

7 A pneumatic bumper embodying tubular bumper members, securing meansextending lengthwise of said bumper members and spaced apart supportsarranged to receive tubularbumper members, securing means ex tendinglengthwise along said bumper members and two flat springs disposed inedge to edge relation and arranged to clamp therebetween said securlngmeans.

9. A pneumatic bumper embodying a nonelastic casmghavmg two tubularreceptacles formed therein, a longitudinally extendlng securing memberformed on the casing between the two receptacles, a support arranged toengage and hold said securing member throughout the length of saidcasing and pneumatic tubes in the respective receptacles said casingbeing arranged to rest against said support when the tubes are inflated.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in Which draw string means areprovided for closing the ends of said tubular recep- I tacles.

11. A pneumatic bumper embodying a non elastic casing having two tubularreceptacles formed therein, a longitudinal extending securing memberformed on the casing between said receptacles, a cord extendlng lengthwse of sald securing member, two fiat supporting springs arrangedto havesaid securing meniber held therebetween with said tubular receptacles onone side andsaid cord 0n the opposite side of said springs, clamp meansfor 'SQCUllHg said sprln gs together and. pneumatic ALVIN SHOEWAKER;

